I was amazed by how close I could swim next to both of them. The southern stingrays soar through the water with their "wings" fluttering as they go. One southern stingray was so friendly that it came up and head-butted me and then swam next to me for the next twenty minutes!
These rays live on the sea floor, where they nestle themselves into the sand. They are friendly and common along the shoreline of many beaches in Belize. Although I've just described seeing them on a snorkeling trip out in a marine reserve, I've been at beaches where southern stingrays swim over my feet as I'm standing in shallow water.
Southern stingrays matches their environment by burying their bodies into the soft sediment of the sea floor. They leave just their eyes exposed above the sand. This allows them to hide from their predators, out of sight. If a predator does get too close, or if the ray feels as if it is in danger, it will whip its tail to sting its predator. The tails have a venomous end that is barbed like a barbed wire. This venom will likely stun or kill the predator, which gives the ray time to escape. The rays also have an electric sense that helps them locate their prey. This prey may consist of different shrimp, crabs, other crustaceans or small fish. Being able to disguise themselves in the sandy shallow water allows the rays to hunt prey and hide from their predators in safety.
